Category: Pest Control

How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes can make our life really miserable. Besides causing constant annoyance and irritation, some species can also transmit deadly diseases. In fact mosquitoes are considered the deadliest animal on Earth, causing more death compared to any other animals. As mosquitoes are pervasive pests, the most effective way to get rid of mosquitoes is to arrange for specialized treatments by fully licensed pest control professionals.

IMM is a specially designed, holistic program proven to be an effective approach to mosquito control in the long run. It is targeted at every stage of the mosquito life cycle, through a simple 4-steps program which includes removing potential mosquito breeding grounds, larviciding, thermal fogging, and using adult mosquito traps. This integrated approach can effectively get rid of mosquitoes from the get-go.

Eliminate Mosquito Breeding Grounds

Eliminate Potential breeding grounds by frequently checking and removing stagnant water collected by unused items in the premises.

Common breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes include flower pot plate, unused container and hardened soil of potted plant.

Reducing potential breeding sites in your premises is crucial so that mosquitoes will have less

Larviciding

It is a treatment to control the development of mosquitoes’ larvae.

Larvicide treatment at mosquitoes hotspots can help to reduce its infestation.

A thorough inspection for any potential breeding ground will be conducted before we carry out

Thermal Fogging

Thermal fogging can be carried out to eliminate breeding of adult mosquitoes.

It is essential to fog at the right time when the mosquitoes are active to get a more effective control.

There are 2 types of fogging, namely water-based thermal fogging and diesel-based thermal fogging.

Both are equally effective in eliminating the harboring and breeding of adult mosquitoes surrounding your premises compound.

Water-based fogging is recommended due to its properties that are effective, environmental friendly and safe.

Water-based fogging does not produce carbon emission and releases minimal rate of smoke,

 

Best Ways to Get Rid of Mosquitoes in Your House and Yard

People are so sick and tired of mosquitoes that they keep inventing new ways to kill them. Amateurs and experimenters recommend rubbing herbs all over the place, while the manufacturers keep producing new electronic devices.

In order to kill mosquitoes smartly, let’s figure out what the modern treatments can and cannot do, and what purposes each of them serves. Here, we have listed ALL ways to get rid of mosquitoes ever invented by humans: from bacteria killing larvae to modern powerful propane traps.

How to Kill Mosquitoes with Methods Based on Scientific Research

There are only a few killing methods approved by the scientists: repellents, traps, foggers, mosquito larvae killers and insecticides for adult mosquitoes. Let’s see when and how each of them is to be used.

Obviously, repellents can only drive away mosquitoes. DEET- and Picaridin-based sprays, bands, and Permethrin-treated clothes are considered to be very effective.

Traps are suitable for catching adult species, but they do not control the mosquito population as the insects continue breeding regardless of whether the trap is working. UV, carbon dioxide (CO2), heat, water (H2O), and propane traps are such products; we have covered them in details in a separate review.

Mosquito killers not only kill adult species but also break the breeding cycle and these are represented by powerful insecticides (for killing adult mosquitoes) and bacteria and insect growth regulators (IGRs) which are poured into the water for killing larvae.

All in all, if you live and have to deal with thousands of mosquitoes, be ready to combine all these treatments. Use repellents for personal protection, traps for catching the mosquitoes, and synthetic chemicals and bacteria which kill mosquito larvae and thus break the breeding cycle for reducing mosquito population.

 

How To Keep Mosquitoes Away From Your Home for Good

What do mosquitoes look like?

Adult mosquitoes are small flying insects with spindly legs and narrow abdomens. Mosquitoes range from dark black to light brown in color, with different species carrying varied markings. All mosquitoes, however, possess a long and slender proboscis, an elongated mouthpart.

Female mosquitoes are biting insects that feed on blood, inflicting painful and itchy bites when they do. The itch is caused by an allergic reaction to mosquito saliva. Bites often appear as small red or white puffy bumps within a few minutes after the bite. After a few days, bites typically harden, darken, or blister. Mosquitoes can bite any part of exposed skin, so check areas such as your neck, arms, hands, or ankles following exposure.

The presence of mosquitoes is undesirable, especially when you’re dealing with mosquitoes in the house. Knowing how to get rid of mosquitoes and how to keep mosquitoes away are important factors every homeowner should learn.

Are mosquitoes dangerous?

Aside from irritation caused by bites, mosquitoes pose a serious threat to human health. Many mosquito species are notorious spreaders of infectious diseases. Mosquitoes can transmit serious and sometimes deadly illnesses to humans, including West Nile virus, Zika virus, chikungunya virus, malaria, and dengue fever.

What are mosquitoes attracted to?

Female mosquitoes are attracted to their hosts by a combination of carbon dioxide exhaled as breath and particular body odors. That’s why mosquitoes tend to bite some people more than others. Some mosquito species target specific animals, while others are equal opportunity feeders. Once they find a host, mosquitoes are attracted to body heat in order to land and start feeding.

 

Your Field Guide to Battle Mosquitoes

Control Mosquitoes Where You Live

Eliminate standing water. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a teaspoon of water. Here are 12 locations to check at least weekly for standing water — tip and toss that water:

Buckets, watering cans, bottle caps or any trash that can hold water

Corrugated pipes for downspout drainage

Bird baths and pet water bowls

Potted plants with saucers

Children’s toys

Tarps on woodpiles and garden equipment

Grill and patio furniture

Wheelbarrows

Containers under decks and porches

Garbage cans, recycle bins and other barrels

Tires

Boats and boat covers

Not everyone will check or know to check these locations, so please share this list with neighbors and your homeowner’s association.

Treat standing water with a larvicide if it cannot be eliminated. If you cannot get rid of the water, treat it with a mosquito-specific, environmentally-friendly product such as Mosquito Dunks®, which are available at hardware stores and garden centers. Follow label instructions when applying.

If mosquitoes are biting, consider treating your yard with an insecticide. When used according to label instructions, an insecticide can help control biting mosquitoes. Pay attention to areas where they hide, such as dense vegetation and ground cover.

Organize a neighborhood clean-up. Get rid of litter and debris, discard old tires and manage vegetation that mosquitoes may be using as hiding places.

There may be other places or containers in your yard where water collects that are not on this list, so be sure to check throughout your yard for standing water.

Protect Yourself and Your Family From Mosquito Bites

Wear an EPA-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR 3535 or para-menthane-diol and 2-undecanone. Insect repellent is safe and effective for children and pregnant women, too. Always apply according to label instructions. If using sunscreen, apply sunscreen first and then repellent.

Dress to protect. Cover exposed skin by wearing loose-fitting, light-colored long-sleeved shirts and pants. For extra protection, treat clothing with permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated clothing and gear. Never apply permethrin on skin and always follow label instructions.

Keep mosquitoes out of your home. Keep doors and windows closed. Make sure screens are in good repair. Use air-conditioning when available.

Why Wage Battle Against Mosquitoes?

Besides the unpleasant and itchy result of bites, mosquitoes can transmit disease. West Nile virus is found in Culex mosquitoes in Northern every year. When people are infected with the virus, it can cause symptoms such as fever, headache, body aches, joint pain and rash. It is also potentially fatal.

 

What’s the Best Natural Mosquito Repellent: A Comprehensive Guide

Summer provides amazing opportunities for spending quality time outdoor and having fun in the sun. As enjoyable as such activities may be, there’s one major annoyance to take care of – mosquitoes. Mosquito bites are incredibly irritating, not to mention the fact that certain health risks are associated with them.

Using a repellent is one of the best ways to keep mosquitoes away from yourself and your family. The market offers a wide array of options but chances are that you’re looking for something free from chemicals and synthetics. A natural mosquito repellent is an incredibly good idea because it will get the job done without causing skin irritation and other issues.

The Main Benefits of Repelling Mosquitoes Naturally

With so many products to choose among, it’s possible to feel a bit overwhelmed. There are so many insect repellents out there, why should you go the natural route? Even if you decide to do so, which natural product is the most potent one? This guide will provide the answers to all of your questions.

There are several reasons why natural insect repellents, particularly the ones targeting mosquitoes, are superior to chemical-filled sprays and creams.

Standard insect repellents rely on harsh chemicals that create a barrier against bugs. Most of them feature N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, a substance that’s called DEET for short. DEET repels a wide array of insects but it may have an adverse neurological effect, clinical studies suggest. Researchers also believe that DEET could potentially interact with other ingredients in a mosquito repellent and become more toxic.

Don’t let the bed bugs bite

Question: If you put on “Off” or some other insect repellant before retiring in a hotel will this prevent them from biting? Can they get in your hair? –Dolores Hill, Bessemer, Ala.

Answer: Although we have not specifically tested mosquito repellants on bed bugs, we have tested repellant insecticides. Bed bugs do not seem to respond in the slightest to repellent insecticides. In fact, they will sit on top of them until they die. These results have been confirmed by the older bed bug literature (Usinger 1966) who stated that many repellant materials were applied to bed frames in an attempt to keep bed bugs from crawling up, but none had any effect. Because we have not tested repellants on skin, we can’t say for sure whether bed bugs would be willing to stick their mouth parts though repellant treated skin or not. But we have found bed bugs to be very determined little creatures and I think it would be hard to stop a hungry bed bug. In addition, the repellants that you buy for mosquitoes last only a couple of hours before the effects begin to wear off.  If you apply a repellant before getting into bed, a lot of the material could rub off on the sheets etc.  Also, bed bugs are most active between 3 and 5 am, which is several hours after the time you would have put the on the repellant to go to bed.  Bottom line, a repellant may prevent you from getting a bite or two but I do not believe that they will significantly hinder a hungry bed bug.

Question: Would the silk “sleep sacks” sold as a travel accessory be any help at all against bed bug bites at a hotel? –L Hart , Irvine, Calif.

Answer: Unlikely. Bed bugs can very probably feed directly through the weave of the “sleep sack.” Even if the bag were to offer some protection, the bed bugs could crawl to the opening of the sack and enter that way. The best defense is to inspect the bed (mattress and sheets) and the head board for signs of bed bugs.  If you find any, report this to the management and request a different room.

Question: When traveling I carry a can of Lysol spray and spray the bed with it. Is this helpful in getting rid of bed bugs?  –Ennis, Tex.

Answer: The only way that Lysol spray could help you is if you sprayed the bugs directly.  The alcohols and propellants would probably kill bed bugs if you wetted them down with the material.  However, dried spray on or around the bed would have no effect.

Question: Are the pesticide companies trying to develop an effective bed bug spray? –Diana Shea, Descanso, Calif.

Answer: This is an excellent question.  All pesticides that are labeled for use in the United States have to be registered by the EPA.  To get an EPA registration, the pesticide product has to be thoroughly tested for acute and chronic effects on mammals (laboratory rats and dogs), the potential effects on birds, fish, and honeybees has to be documented, and the environmental fate (half-life) of these products in water or soil also must be quantified.  The cost of having a product registered is now estimated to be around $ 100 million.  This cost naturally limits the number of products that make it to the marketplace.  In addition, there has been a 10 to 15 year trend in reducing the number of pesticide products that receive registration for use in the indoor environment.  In short, it is very hard to get new pesticides registered that are labeled for indoor use (as opposed to agricultural use).

Question: Why is it that I get bit but my husband does not? –Denise, Indian Trail, N.C.

Answer: Bed bugs tend to aggregate together when they are resting.  It is possible that you are on the “bed bug side” of the bed. Bed bugs don’t switch back and forth from one host to another so if they find you first, you may be the only one bitten.  It is also possible that your husband is getting bitten but does not have a significant reaction to the bed bug bites.

 

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are insects that feed on blood and can survive months without feeding. Their bites are often itchy, and sometimes painful. Bed bugs are a growing problem everywhere. By spraying for insects less often, and using less dangerous chemicals when we do spray, our homes are safer for our families but also less toxic for bed bugs

Bed bugs are hitchhikers. They travel by hiding in luggage, clothing, beds or furniture. This can make bed bugs a special problem for hotels, apartments, and when using second-hand furniture. Once bed bugs are introduced, they spread from room to room throughout a building. Keeping a clean home can limit cockroach and rodent problems, but will have little effect on bed bugs.

Symptoms

People sensitive to bites can have a raised, red swelling at each bite site or may develop a sensitivity that can include nervousness, and sleeplessness. Symptoms may also appear several days after being bitten. Bed bugs’ feces, casings, and other materials can be asthma triggers in some people. Although bed bugs feed on blood, there is no evidence that bed bugs transmit disease.

Identification

Bed bugs vary in size, and in color, from a red-brown to a light brown. Adult bed bugs are 1/4 inch, or about the width of a pencil.

Bed bugs move quickly. The females lay eggs in cracks and other hidden areas. The eggs appear tiny, white, and are hard to see without a magnifying glass. Bed bugs are active at night and hide within 5 to 20 feet of where people sleep. They tend to gather in tiny crevices and other places, especially in mattresses, box springs, and head-boards.

 

Guidelines for killing bed bugs in laundry

The nice thing about an emergency pest problem, like the current bed bug epidemic, is that such problems attract a lot of attention from the research community.

Knowing how to dis-infest clothing is important to pest control, because, as the authors so carefully explain, bedbugs “may seek harborage among clothing stored close to the bed, or may be entangled with bed linen while it is being changed. ”  And, “once associated with clothing or linen, there is a risk that bed bugs may then escape insecticide treatments, and may be transported to new locations.”

To do this they took laboratory reared bed bugs and sealed them in cotton bags.  These bags were then placed among sheets or in the pockets of clothing to assess mortality of standard cleaning methods.   The results were enlightening and should help in recommendations for how your customers can ensure maximum effectiveness of methods to disinfest household articles.

A summary of the results of this study include the following:

Freezing can kill bed bugs.  Reducing temperatures to -17 degrees C (0 degrees F) for 2 hours will kill all bed bug life stages (about the temperature of a chest freezer, not a refrigerator freezer).  A 5.5 lb batch of clothes, however, does not drop to 0 degrees F immediately.  The researchers found that it took about 8 hours for the temperature in the center of that wad of clothes to killing temperature.  Upshot?  Put clothes in freezer for at least 10-12 hours.

Bed bugs are also susceptible to high temperatures of 40-50 degrees C (104-122 degrees F).  In order to reach these temperatures, clothing to be dis-infested can be placed in a large tumble drier at the HOT setting for at least 30 minutes (for a 7.7 lb load).  A 10 minute HOT tumble dry only killed about 75% of nymphal bed bugs, 85% of adults.  Interestingly, the COOL cycle killed almost no bed bugs.

Soaking clothes in cold water for 24 hours (without detergent) killed all adults and nymphs, but killed no eggs. Unfortunately, the researchers did not test whether soaking clothes in cold soapy water for 24 hours would kill eggs.  This alternative treatment might be useful, especially for cleaning clothes that are labeled for cool wash and dry only.

Dry cleaning killed all life stages of bed bugs, and would be an appropriate treatment for delicate and temperature sensitive fabrics.

When washing clothes, wash water at 60 degrees C (140 degrees F) on 30 minute wash cycles killed 100% of all life stages.  Washing at 40 degrees C (100 degrees F) killed all adults and nymphs, but only 25% of eggs.  So clearly, washing clothes for bed bug dis-infestation should be done at the hottest temperatures (about 140 degrees F).

Experience with many pests verifies the wisdom of using multiple control tactics to control pests–a basic tenet of IPM.  Certainly bed bugs are no exception.  Reducing clutter, systematic inspection and treatment of the bedroom and other infested rooms, trapping and ongoing monitoring, and effective treatment of all exposed household articles, including clothing, are all essential components of good bed bug control

 

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are blood-sucking insects in the family Cimicidae. Both nymphs and adults feed on sleeping or sedentary humans, mostly at night, a time when this pest’s stealthy habits are difficult to observe.

The growth and development of C. lectularius is optimal when it feeds on humans; however, this insect also feeds on other species of mammals and on birds found near the home including chickens, mice, rats, and rabbits. Bat bugs and swallow bugs, close relatives of bed bugs, may also be found in and around human dwellings and may sometimes bite humans, although their preferred hosts are bats and birds, respectively

IDENTIFICATION AND LIFE CYCLE

Adult bed bugs are oval, wingless, about 1/5 inch long, and rusty red or mahogany. Their bodies are flattened, they have well-developed antennae, their compound eyes are small, and the area behind the head (the pronotum) expands forward on either side of the head, bearing many small hairs. The immatures, called nymphs, appear identical to the adults except for their smaller size (1/20 –1/5 inch), thinner outer skeleton (cuticle), and lighter yellowish-white color.

Bed bugs are readily distinguished from another common blood-sucking species, conenose bugs (also known as kissing bugs), by their smaller size, more rounded shape, and lack of wings as adults

Bed bugs can be distinguished from their close relatives bat bugs and swallow bugs by comparing the length of the hairs on the pronotum to the diameter of the eye; this requires a hand lens or microscope. These hairs are shorter than the diameter of the eye on a bed bug and longer than the diameter of the eye on bat bugs and swallow bugs

 

Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite

The number of strange presenting complaints we encounter every day in our practice surely must have given us the insight to look beyond the tunnel vision we have. It’s something I’ve certainly learnt from the following experience.

Within a day of returning, I started developing a very itchy urticarial rash all over my body.

I proceeded to take a cocktail of antihistamines, topical creams etc, but things didn’t get better. In fact they got worse. I wasn’t sleeping at night because of the itching and started to miss work because the rash was so severe.

He thought it was an urticarial rash and told me to change my washing powder, go organic and generally try to find what was I reacting to. I convinced him to give me a course of steroids while I was abroad, which worked a treat, but as soon as I got back from the US, the rash reappeared.

I spoke to my father (a paediatrician) who got really worried and ordered me to do a string of blood tests, half of which I didn’t even know existed! My registrar and another dermatology registrar suggested various things, treatments, referrals but no specific diagnosis

How to Find Bed Bugs

Bed Bug Behavior and Habit

Understanding the behavior of bed bugs (how they eat, live, and reproduce) will help you to find an infestation before it becomes established and to monitor for the presence of bed bugs after your home has been treated.

Feeding:

• Appear to prefer to feed on humans, but will feed on other mammals and birds as well.
• Will readily travel 5-20 feet from established hiding places (called harborage) to feed on a host.
• Even though they are primarily active at night, if hungry they will seek hosts in full daylight.
• Feeding can take 3-12 minutes.
• The rusty or tarry spots found on bed sheets or in bug hiding places are because 20% of the time adults and large nymphs will void remains of earlier blood meals while still feeding.

 

Bedbugs

Where Bed Bugs Hide

Bedbugs may enter your home undetected through luggage, clothing, used beds and couches, and other items. Their flattened bodies make it possible for them to fit into tiny spaces, about the width of a credit card. Bedbugs do not have nests like ants or bees, but tend to live in groups in hiding places. Their initial hiding places are typically in mattresses, box springs, bed frames, and headboards where they have easy access to people to bite in the night.

When Bedbugs Bite

Bedbugs are active mainly at night and usually bite people while they are sleeping. They feed by piercing the skin and withdrawing blood through an elongated beak. The bugs feed from three to 10 minutes to become engorged and then crawl away unnoticed.

 

How to Check for Bedbugs

Investigate piles of clothes. Look at the clothes in your closet or laundry room and look at the fabric for signs of bed bugs. If you suspect a severe infestation, lay a white sheet on the floor. Then take clothes out of baskets or the closet and shake them over the sheet. Check the sheet for bed bugs, excrement, or eggs.

Peel back loose wallpaper and look behind it. Gently pull loose wallpaper or peeling paint away from the wall and look for bed bugs. You should also remove any picture frames or mirrors and check behind them. Bed bugs can hide in the joints of mirrors or frames.

Lift up rugs to look for bed bugs underneath. Move furniture to the edge of the room so you can peel back rugs. Look for signs of bed bugs on the underside of the rug and on the floor itself.

Look under lamps, toys, or clocks in the room. Although bed bugs usually prefer to hide where people rest for long periods of time, they’ll also hide around objects in your room. Check under lamps, clocks, laptops, toys, cushions, and pillows.

Inspect hiding places in electrical items. If the room is heavily infested with bed bugs, they may hide in the crevices around electrical items. Remove electrical outlet covers and look behind them. You should also check near lamp or computer cords and inside wall-mounted lamps.

 

How To Check for Bed Bugs: Common Hiding Spots and Signs

Catching Bed Bugs in their Hiding Spots

Earlier, we discussed how to tell if you have bed bugs based on their hiding spots. So how do you catch them? Since bed bugs are afraid of the light, they are difficult to eliminate since they dwell in dark areas. You need to carefully search every darkened corner of your home to catch them.

How to Properly Remove Bed Bugs from Fabrics?

You can instantly remove any bedbugs from fabric using the same method that you use to inspect your mattress and bedding. When considering how to tell if you have bed bugs, keep in mind that although bed bugs don’t have the ability to jump or fly, they are fast travelers. Usually, they crawl onto people’s clothes and attach until they find potential bedding to infest.

Examining Bed Bugs on Mattresses

Once bedbugs are satisfied with their meal, they go back to their protected space until they are ready to feed again. The major feeding areas for bedbugs are mattresses straps, buttons, creases, and tags. When looking for how to find bed bugs, take note that these areas are convenient since as it is where they can easily locate and attach to their victims.

Checking Bed Bugs: Bedding

If there’s one thing that bedbugs despise, it’s light. That’s why they always strike during the night when their victim is fast asleep in an infested bed. It is impossible to catch living bed bugs in your bedding. However, when figuring out how to check for bed bugs, there are signs that will tell you if they are feeding on your skin. These signs include the following.

Checking for Bed Bugs: Bites

Bed bugs bite into a human by inserting two tubes into its skin. One tube secretes saliva that makes the bite area numb. This also thins the blood, so it’s easier for the bug to consume it. The second tube is known as the feeding tube and is utilized for one purpose only; sipping the blood from the human.

 

How to Find Bed Bugs

Commercial and Multi-Unit Buildings

Bug control in commercial facilities or multi-unit dwellings may be considerably more expensive than treatment for other forms of pests. This is because of the more extensive cooperation required by the staff or renters in preventing the spread from one area to the other, as well as the expenses incurred in treating multiple areas instead of one room or single-family home.

The Costs of Prevention and Treatment

These bugs can be expensive pests to control and treat. Regardless of the costs to homeowners, renters and property managers, they also extract a considerable toll on society. Those afflicted with an invasion may lose work or productivity due to sleep deprivation and anxiety. There may be healthcare costs from these issues, or from allergic reactions or infections due to bites.

Monitors

Monitoring devices that attract bugs through heat and the release of carbon dioxide may also be employed. These are not traps that are intended to eradicate the bugs. They are used to estimate population size, to help determine treatment plans or to determine if treatment has been successful.

Pesticides

Judicious use of approved pesticides is part of a professional treatment plan, and these chemicals can be applied with precision and training unavailable to unlicensed applicators.

Vacuuming

Vacuuming is also part of a professional control treatment, using special machines outfitted with HEPA filters which contain the bugs to prevent re-infestation of the treated area or others.